Medicinal plants of Nepal

Ganja(Cannabis)

Cannabis sativa (ganja) is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family. It is a herb that has been used throughout recorded history by humans as a source of fiber, for its seed oil, as food, as a drug (as a psychoactive drug in the dried herbal form.The resinous form of the drug is known as hashish (or merely as 'hash'). In modern times, the drug has been used for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. The United Nations (UN) estimated that in 2004 about 4% of the world's adult population (162 million people) use cannabis annually, and about 0.6% (22.5 million) use it on a daily basis. The possession, use, or sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids became illegal in most parts of the world in the early twentieth century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of cannabis prohibition, while others have reduced it.), as medicine , and for spiritual purposes (Cannabis has an ancient history of ritual usage as an aid to trance and has been traditionally used in a religious context throughout the Old World. Herodotus wrote about early ceremonial practices by the Scythians, which are thought to have occurred from the 5th to 2nd century BC. Itinerant sadhus have used it in India for centuries. Holy anointing oil used by the Hebrews contained cannabis extracts, "kaneh bosm" , and that it is also listed as an incense tree in the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament. Early Christians used cannabis oil for medicinal purposes and as part of the baptismal process to confirm the forgiveness of sins and "right of passage" into the Kingdom of Heaven.Some Muslims of the Sufi). Each part of the plant is harvested differently, depending on the purpose of its use.

Caterpillar Fungus(Yarsagumba)
There are over 680 documented varieties of cordyceps (Caterpillar fungus), and one of the most well known varieties of these is Cordyceps sinensis. The Latin etymology describes cord as "club", ceps as "head", and sinensis as "from China". The mushroom is known in Tibetan as yartsa gunbu or yatsa gunbu. Caterpillar fungi are the result of a parasitic relationship between the fungus Cordyceps and the larva of the ghost moth (Thitarodes), several species of which live on the Tibetan Plateau (Tibet, Qinghai, West-Sichuan, SW-Gansu & NW Yunnan, all in China, and the Himalayas India, Nepal, Bhutan). The fungus germinates in living organisms (in some cases the larvae), kills and mummifies the insect, and then the cordyceps grows from the body of the insect. The "caterpillar"prone to infection by the fungus lives underground in alpine grass and shrublands on the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas at an altitude between 3000m and 5000m. Spending up to five years underground before pupating, the caterpillar is attacked while feeding on roots. The fungus invades the body of the Thitarodes caterpillars, filling its entire body cavity with mycelium and eventually killing and mummifying it. The caterpillars die near the tops of their burrows. The dark brown to black fruiting body (or mushroom) emerges from the ground in spring or early summer, always growing out of the forehead of the caterpillar. The long, usually columnar fruiting body reaches 5-15 cm above the surface and releases spores.In Nepal caterpillar fungus is found on the subalpine pastures in Dolpo in Karnali Zone and Darchula in Mahakali zone. It is also common in Bhutan and India's Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand Himalayas. Reports of distribution outside of "High Asia" are erroneous and relate to other species of Cordyceps, e.g. Cordyceps militaris.It is not certain how the fungus infects the caterpillar; possibly by ingestion of a fungal spore or by the fungus mycelium invading the insect through one of its breathing pores.It is known in the West as a medicinal mushroom and its use has a long history in Traditional Chinese medicine as well as Traditional Tibetan medicine.The "caterpillar"prone to infection by the fungus lives underground in alpine grass and shrublands on the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas at an altitude between 3000m and 5000m. Spending up to five years underground before pupating, the caterpillar is attacked while feeding on roots. The fungus invades the body of the Thitarodes caterpillars, filling its entire body cavity with mycelium and eventually killing and mummifying it. The caterpillars die near the tops of their burrows. The dark brown to black fruiting body (or mushroom) emerges from the ground in spring or early summer, always growing out of the forehead of the caterpillar. The long, usually columnar fruiting body reaches 5-15 cm above the surface and releases spores. In Nepal caterpillar fungus is found on the sub-alpine pastures in Dolpa in Karnali Zone and Darchula in Mahakali zone. It is also common in Bhutan and India's Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand Himalayas. Reports of distribution outside of "High Asia" are erroneous and relate to other species of Cordyceps, e.g. Cordyceps militaris. It is not certain how the fungus infects the caterpillar; possibly by ingestion of a fungal spore or by the fungus mycelium invading the insect through one of its breathing pores. Cordyceps sinensis has been used to protect the bone marrow and digestive systems of mice from whole body irradiation.It also protects the liver from damage and may have an anti-depressant effect and has a hypoglycemic effect, beneficial for people with insulin resistance.In 2008, one kilogram traded for US$3,000 (lowest quality) to over US$18,000 (best quality equalling the largest larvae). The annual production on the Tibetan Plateau is estimated at 100-200 tons. The Himlayan Cordyceps production might not exceed a few tons.Its value gave it a role in the Nepalese Civil War, as the Nepalese Maoists and government forces fought for control of the lucrative export trade during the June–July harvest season. Collecting yarchagumba in Nepal had only been legalised in 2001, and now demand is highest in countries such as China, Thailand, Korea and Japan. By 2002, the herb was valued at R 105,000 ($1,435) per kilogram, allowing the government to charge a royalty of R 20,000 ($280) per kilogram. In 2004 the value of a kilogram of caterpillars was estimated at about 30,000 to 60,000 Nepali Rupees in Nepal, and about Rs 1 lakh in India. The search for Cordyceps sinensis is often perceived to pose a threat for the environment of the Tibetan Plateau.where it grows. While it has been collected for centuries and is still common in such collection areas, current collection rates are much higher than in historical times.